The Hunger Games
by Anglo-Chan
Summary: For the first time in years, there are six out of twenty-four who volunteer to fight to the death in the 74th Hunger Games. Four little words changed Kuroko Tetsuya's life forever- "I volunteer as tribute!" (Career!GoM/Kuroko, ongoing series.. Support me, ne ?)
1. Chapter 1

**BOOOOOOSH. Anglo-Chan here with a new, crappy book parody along with KNB! But isn't that why you all love me? ^^**

***Silence***

**.. ~ Hurtful~! So cruel~ Waaah (TT^TT) #Kurokocchiwaiiiii**

**A-hem. Taking a break from the Kise-like attitude.. Here's the last major plot bunny I had in mind for you all. It'll be strange and the mixed concepts are weird, but I was really dying to do this! So, enjoy, and review. Or Anglo-Chan will come into your house during the night and steal your vanilla milkshakes.. Euhehehe.**

* * *

It was the right at the break of dawn, when the light coursed over the vast, ash-grey land, when the horizon brightened with the rising pink and orange sun, that Kuroko Tetsuya woke from a deep, comatose like sleep, his eyes snapping open to see that his younger brother had crept into his bed during the middle of the night.

"Nigou.." Kuroko whispered softly, a small sigh escaping his lips at the smaller boy who lay in front of him. His pale white skin was unhealthily white, his black, tussled hair messy and ungroomed. His tiny body was so utterly small, so thin, so broken. His tiny frame quivered in the cold under Kuroko's small, wool blanket, Nigou's wrapped around them in addition- but both covers did nothing to shield them from the relentless cold of District Twelve.

Suddenly, Kuroko's eyes pierced through the darkness as he saw Nigou begin to shake uncontrollably, as tears escaped his eyes. He immediately grabbed onto the shoulders of his precious younger brother and shook him, to rouse the smaller male from his obvious nightmares.

"Nigou, Nigou," he breathed out quickly, patting his brother's cheek firmly. His monotone voice had a sense of urgency to it, as his brother finally began to wake up from the terror of his dreams. "Wake up- it's only a dream, nothing more.."

Nigou gasped, as his eyes fluttered open, sweat and tears running down the sides of his face. He immediately grasped onto Kuroko weakly with his emaciated limbs, trembling fiercely. "T-Tetsuya-Nii," he stuttered out, and began to cough.

Kuroko patted his back to calm his brother down from the coughing fit, and pressed a quick kiss to his forehead as he wrapped his own thin arms around Nigou. "Sh, sh.. You're alright now, okay," he whispered soothingly, his calm voice almost like a lullaby as he rubbed his brother's back. Nigou cried into his shoulder.

"I-It was so _real_," he breathed out, sobs racking his small frame.

Kuroko gently laid another kiss on his forehead. "It's not real anymore.. It was just a dream. Okay?" He asked gently, and slowly sat up to take his brother into his arms. "Just.. Go back to sleep. Everything will be alright.. I'll come and wake you up when I come back, so don't worry."

"But.. I'm scared of being alone," Nigou whispered, tugging at his brother's sleeve, as Kuroko tried to get up. "Please don't leave. You can go see Kagami later, right? I don't want to be alone right now," he pleaded desperately, tears running down his beautiful dark blue eyes.

"You know I have to go," Kuroko said softly, caressing his cheek and wiping his tears away with his thumb. "I promise I'll be back soon enough to walk you to the square. Your name is in there only once, Nigou. Nothing will happen.."

Nigou barely managed to nod, swallowing painfully.

Kuroko gave him another kiss on the forehead. "I love you, brother," he said softly, as he shed the blankets and gently wrapped them around Nigou, and gave him another gentle kiss. ".. I'll do whatever it takes to make sure that they won't call you. You'll never go in.. Okay?" The teal haired male grabbed his wooden bow and hand-made quiver of arrows from the side of the cot, and quickly slung them over his shoulder.

"I love you too," Nigou whispered softly. ".. Okay."

Kuroko flashed a rare smile to his precious younger brother, the only person he truly cherished on this earth, except for maybe also Kagami, and slipped out of their tiny little wooden shack and into a dull light of the near-dawn morning. He slowly closed the door as to not wake his father, or disturb Nigou, and walked down the ash-grey road of District Twelve down to the main marketplace.

His footsteps were quick and silent, and he ghosted through the town like a shadow. He walked past the marketplace, where the stands that sold cheap foods were yet to open, all the way through the stores to the chain-link fence that separated the woods from District Twelve. It was supposed to buzz with electricity, but it never had due to the lack of firmness peacekeepers here showed.

Just to be safe, Kuroko threw a stick at the fence, and it hit the ground unharmed. He nodded to himself and quickly grabbed up the patterns of the fence, scaling his small, thin body up, and dropped down halfway on the other side, landing well on his feet, but silently. Like a cat, he drew his bow and carefully listened.

A rustle of the bushes.

Without thinking, the bluenette drew an arrow from his quiver, and slung it onto his bow. He spun around and stopped, shooting the arrow towards the moving thickets, and listened carefully. Nothing moved after that. Kuroko was about to move to go and check the thickets when something rolled out, and the boy dropped down on his rear in rare fear, and a laugh came from the thing- no, _person_- from the bushes.

"Shit, Tetsu! You were so scared for a moment there," a loud, obnoxious, yet gruff voice came from the person. He was tall and muscular, but was too thin for his own good. He held Kuroko's arrow in his hand skillfully, and sat up. He wore a thin white shirt and black, dirt-stained pants, and had grass stains smeared across his tanned skin. A shit-eating smirk laced his lips, and Kuroko narrowed his eyes.

"Ack!" The guy squawked out in pain, as Kuroko jabbed him painfully in the ribs, "C-C'mon, Kuroko.. It was just a joke, anyway, I didn't mean to scare you_ that_ bad," he managed to get out, a sheepish grin replacing his smirk, as he rubbed the back of his head, chuckling nervously.

"You didn't scare me," Kuroko lied, and Kagami only scoffed in response.

"Well, then I don't have a reason to share this bread with you," he cooed, grabbing a brown paper sack from the inside of his shirt. Kuroko watched carefully as he opened it up, and revealed two rolls of warm french bread. The bluenette's eyes widened in surprise, and he felt his mouth water immediately.

Kuroko, shamelessly grabbed one of the rolls from Kagami, who grinned at the bluenette boy in response. Kuroko looked to bread in his hands and inspected it. It wasn't the sawdust mixtures that were sold at the market to try and feed the District's insatiable hunger- it was real, authentic bread, made of flour. He involuntarily began to salivate, and quickly wiped his mouth when he realized what he was doing.

Kagami smirked as Kuroko looked up to him. "How did you manage to get real bread?" He asked, his emotionless barricade fading at the sight of real food. Kagami smirked and took a bite of his bread, savoring the taste.

"Kiyoshi Teppei, and his wife, Alex, the mayor family," he replied, chewing quickly. The redhead's bottomless stomach wouldn't be satisfied by the small roll, but it helped, definitely. "I always sell them the rabbits we shoot, since their son Tatsuya really likes rabbit stew. I walked by their house this morning, they were all up already, and they gave it to me as a Reapings Day 'Good Luck' gift."

Kuroko nodded in awe, and though all he wanted to do was guzzle the bread down, he ripped half of it a part, placing the other half of the roll into his quiver, where it would be safe. Then, he sunk his teeth into the food gratefully and smiled, to which Kagami grinned back at him.

"Still selfless as ever. Is that for Nigou?" Kagami asked, swallowing a large bite of bread, to which Kuroko only nodded and continued to consume his piece.

"Then.. Take half of mine, too," Kagami replied, ripping off half of what was left of his roll, and shoving it into Kuroko's surprised hands. "You should give some to your dad, too.. Can't let that bastard starve, no matter how much of a jerk he is."

Kuroko gave a soft smile to Kagami and put the half of bread into his quiver. He would have refused had it been the first time he met Kagami, but through the years knowing the redhead, it became obvious he was stubborn, and once he made a decision, nothing would change that. "Thank you," he said, closing his eyes, even if he did not care much for his father.

Kagami only grunted in response as he tore apart the rest of his bread hungrily, the two of them watching the sun slowly come up all the way on the flat, grey-blue horizon. The birds around them began to chirp as the squirrels slowly woke and scurried through the trees. Normally, both of them would have gone up and tried to hunt the rodents to sell, but no one was going to buy on Reaping Day.

After finishing his bread and forlornly licking the crumbs off of his small fingers, he looked to the larger male. Kuroko's blank eyes betrayed no emotion, but Kagami knew from experience the smaller male was worried. "Kagami-kun.. How many ballots with your name are in the bowl this year?"

Kagami grunted, as he leaned back against the soft grass, his eyebrows upturning, as he thought, and reluctantly answered. "Thirty two this year, seven for my age, and the rest for the extra grain for my family," he replied, and shifted uncomfortably, crossing his arms over his long legs. "What about you?"

"Five for my age, and twenty more for the grain," Kuroko replied quietly. His name was in there twenty-five times, but it wasn't as much as Kagami, who had thirty two. There was a huge chance either of them could be called out for the male tribute of their district, and there would be no chance they'd survive in the death trap that was the Hunger Games.

"Hey, don't worry," Kagami said, snapping Kuroko out of his thoughts. His large, calloused hand came out of nowhere, and ruffled his powder-blue hair, much to the bluenette's annoyance. The redhead grinned widely. "We've got our names in there a lot, but there are always a lot of other boys in the district."

Kuroko flashed a slight smile, and turned back to his thoughts, slapping Kagami's hand away from his hair. Though he couldn't deny the unbearable guilt of relief he always felt when some other poor boy was called up to die instead of him, it was there. No one wanted to go into the Hunger Games, a fight to the death in an arena full of booby-traps, between twenty four kids- twelve boys and twelve girls- from twelve different districts of Panem.

"Should we go to the market and exchange our spoils for some Reaping Day food?" Kagami asked, slowly getting up. He crushed the brown paper bag that held the bread and shoved it into one of the pockets of his pants, and stood, extending a hand to Kuroko, who only stared back at him.

"But we didn't hunt today, and we traded everything in yesterday," Kuroko reasoned, narrowing his eyes slightly.

"I came here way earlier than you," Kagami said, a smirk on his face. He left Kuroko there, and ran over to the thickets where he had surprised his friend earlier, and grabbed a large burlap sack. He turned and raised it over his head, shaking it a little. "Two squirrels for the mayor, Teppei."

Kuroko smiled slightly, and stood up. "Then.. Let's get going."

The two friends smirked. Kagami threw the sack over the fence with his great arm, and both of them scaled up the wires, then jumped back down from the other side, picking up their spoils. Kagami looked to the market place. It was still early in the morning, but everyone who owned their stands was already preparing to open up their shops. Kuroko and Kagami walked through the stalls, people who had become familiar with them waving and greeting them.

"Ah, Kuroko, Kagami," a woman with short brown hair greeted them. She was relatively young, and would have been pretty if not for the dust and worry lines that graced her face, as well as how emaciated and thin she looked.

"Morning, Riko-san," Kagami greeted with a small wave, as Kuroko followed and gave a short bow in response. The two walked to the woman's stand, and she gave a small, yet tired smile to them. Kagami's eyes scanned over her wares- ropes and strings and sewing needles and materials for clothes. Nothing that they needed.

"I was wondering if you two had shot any rabbits," Riko asked, rubbing the back of her neck wearily. "My husband and I were planning on making it for my son.. He's eighteen, and this will be his last reaping tonight."

"Sorry, all we got are squirrels," Kagami replied, holding up the sack and lifting it up and down a few times to emphasize his point. "Unless you want to make fried squirrel for his special night, instead?"

Riko shook her head, and gave a soft smile. "No, that's alright then. Thank you though, for offering. I'm sure the mayor and his family will enjoy that if you give it to them instead," she said with a smile. "But before you go.."

Both boys looked up in surprise.

"How about a kiss on the cheek for good luck from me?" Riko joked, and laughed at their expressions. Kuroko turned around, muttering a quick, 'No thank you,' and Kagami stuttered, immediately all of the air being sucked out of his lungs.

"Just kidding, you silly boys," Riko laughed, covering her mouth. She turned around and grabbed a small paper package. She handed it to Kagami over the counter and smiled charmingly. "You two enjoy that treat, alright? And be sure to make it on time to the Reapings so you can make fun of that ridiculous woman from the Capitol.. Satsuki, was it?"

Kagami chuckled and took the package. "Thanks, Riko-san.. And hell yeah, we'll be sure to get there on time," he replied, waving, as Kuroko did the same and flashed her a small smile, both boys leaving the market place.

Riko watched them with a smile as her husband, Hyuuga Junpei, official victor of the Fiftieth Annual Hunger Games turned normal trader, walked out from the back of the stands with a small smile on his face.

"Damn.. Those brats grow up fast," the trader said with a small sigh and a sad smile, and wrapped an arm around the brunette woman, who only laughed as she watched the two hunting partners, and friends, leave the market place.

"What's in here.." Kagami mumbled quietly, fumbling with the strings wrapped around the package with his clumsy hands. Kuroko watched him with mild amusement as they passed through the civilian's houses, on their way to Mayor Teppei's. He finally got the strings open, and unfolded the package to reveal two small pastries, with thin, buttery crusts, and a cream white filling with blue sauce.

"Holy.." Kagami managed, his eyes wide.

Kuroko looked to the desserts and immediately felt bad that Riko had given them such an expensive gift. Buying two pastries like that, no matter how small they were, must have been extremely expensive for two poor merchants like them. Kagami unwrapped Kuroko's fingers and placed one of the small berry pastries in his palm, staring at the sweet in disbelief.

"I feel bad for wasting Riko-san's money like this," Kuroko got out, but his stomach betrayed him, growling as his mouth watered. Kagami grinned, and only shrugged.

"We'd waste it if we didn't eat them," Kagami replied with a huge smile, dipping his pinky into the cup and tasting the cream, giving a face of joy. Kuroko watched his gluttonous friend with a slight smile and chuckled, doing the same, and tasted the new flavor of soft, dull-sweet berries and a tangy cream, and closed his eyes.

"Can't share something that small with your family, so don't think about it," Kagami said, before Kuroko could even think of Nigou. The redhead patted the bluenette on his head, and took a small, tentative bite of the pastry. "Just eat it for once, and don't feel bad about it.. Okay?"

Kuroko hesitated, but then slowly nodded. ".. Alright," he consented, and the two walked towards the mayor's house while indulging in the first _real_ dessert of their lives, thanking Aida Riko and her husband several times over.

By the time they arrived at the house that was much larger than everyone else's, and sat on rows of dark cobblestone instead of the grey, ash-dirt road like the others, their pastries were gone. Kagami and Kuroko wistfully walked up the steps and knocked at the door, and in a few minutes, they heard footsteps.

"Hey, it's you two," a man with spiky brown hair and thick eyebrows singsonged cheerfully, as he opened the door. It was Kiyoshi Teppei, the mayor of District Twelve, and known to be a relaxed, kind man, despite his high up status. Of course, he was the keeper of one of the districts, but he was low on the list of authority in Panem due to his keeping of the poorest district.

"We have two squirrels for you," Kuroko said politely with a small bow, and Kagami nodded, holding the sack up for Kiyoshi to see.

"Are they shot straight in the eye, like the others?" Kiyoshi inquired, looking it over, as Kagami opened it up. He frowned a bit when he saw the insides of the bag, and chuckled. "They're not shot or skinned too cleanly.. Kagami, I take it you were the one who shot this batch, huh?"

The redhead scratched the back of his head sheepishly, and Kuroko smiled slightly as Teppei chuckled. "Next time, let Kuroko shoot them.. He always hits the squirrels right in the eye," he reasoned, and turned back in the house. "Tatsuya, come down here and bring the trades~!"

Footsteps echoed through the house, as a young man quickly came down from the stairs. Kuroko and Kagami both looked over to the door, where Teppei Tatsuya, a teenager their age who attended the same school as them, stood at the door, holding a box of strawberries in his hands. He offered them a small smile, as his father took the box in his hands and handed it to Kagami, as Kuroko passed them the sack of squirrels.

After the fair trade, they exchanged their goodbyes as well as their wishes of luck for the reapings, and Kagami and Kuroko both left the mayor's house to go back to their own families. Kagami tried to force some strawberries on Kuroko, but the bluenette refused to take anything that he didn't help to earn.

"Sometimes, you're too damn prideful and stubborn," Kagami said with a deep frown, as he readjusted the strawberries in his hands.

"I could say the same for you," Kuroko replied blatantly, but smiled slightly.

".. Hey.. Then, I'll see you at the Reapings."

"Alright."

Red eyes stared into light blue ones for a few seconds, before they both spoke with soft, tired and sad smiles.

**"Happy Hunger Games, and may the odds be _ever_ in your favor."**

* * *

"Nigou, I'm home," Kuroko called quietly as he opened the door to the small home. Silence echoed through the room, except for the soft murmuring coming from he and Nigou's bedroom. He narrowed his eyes, and slowly walked towards the small room, his footsteps silent as ever.**  
**

"And then, you put the rope through here, and then.."

Kuroko peered inside their small bedroom to see Nigou and.. His 'father' sitting on Kuroko's cot together, the blankets huddled over their laps. They were fiddling with scraps of string together, speaking in soft whispers, and a genuine smile was on both of their faces. Pain immediately shot through the teal-haired male.

His precious brother Nigou was too forgiving. He was too innocent and naive, and he was trusting their scumbag of a father again, just because he wanted a complete family, when what Kuroko Teruya did to them was unforgivable. When their mother had died six years ago, when Kuroko was ten, and Nigou was six. He had left them alone, refusing to speak, refusing to move, refusing to do anything.

At twelve years old, Kuroko was forced to become the man of his family and feed three mouths, all on his own.

He stared coldly at the sight of his father, who had light blue hair like he did, and the same eyes as Nigou. His fists clenched unconsciously as he trembled at the doorway, watching them be a family together.

They never needed him.. They'd be happy together, just like that. They only needed Kuroko to work, just to bring home food. That seemed to be it. He wanted to convince himself he was angry that they were spending time with each other, but in truth, he was just angry at his father. It was a selfish reason, but he didn't want Nigou to forgive him for making Kuroko go through all of that.

He watched them carefully for one more moment, before he walked through the door and stood in front of them. Their attention immediately snapped up, and their smiles faded away, their voices dying until nothing escaped their lips.

Kuroko was silent for a moment before reaching into his quiver, and grabbing the two halves of the rolls. His eyes were narrowed as his fingers dug into the soft dough, and he pulled them out of the arrow container, throwing them to the floor.

"Saved them for you. Hope you're not too hungry," he said emotionlessly, though the venom was evident enough in his eyes as he walked out of the room, leaving Nigou and his father speechless.

Kuroko left the house, feeling sick to his stomach. His ghostly feet flew across the dusty road as he ignored calls of his name coming from his brother and father. Disgust was evident as a scowl found itself on his face, and he found himself walking absentmindedly towards the square.

The large paved platform in the middle of the coal-mining district, was, as usual, empty. It was used for announcements from the Capitol, or from the mayor, or the Reapings, and people going there usually meant panic or fear that the Capitol was angry. Everyone thought of the square as a prison.

Kuroko stood in the middle of the square, his eyes narrowed at how empty it looked. He took a seat by the railings, which separated the women and the girls from the men and the boys, and ran a hand through his messy hair, his fingers quivering as his mind drifted off. He felt so betrayed that Nigou was recovering with his father, when he still couldn't get over the cold, hard grudge that had formed through years of taking care of a younger brother when he himself could not cope with his own mother's death.

The bluenette slowly curled up into a ball, wrapping his arms around his legs quietly. He was so silent at times, no one noticed him, unless he was with Kagami, or approached them first. He wouldn't be seen here, when no one was around, and no one would notice him even if he was.

The bluenette closed his eyes, swallowing slowly and painfully.

* * *

_'Love you, Tetsuya, Nigou.. You two are the best sons a father could ever have.'_

_'D-Dad? Where's Mom?'_

_'Mom.. She isn't gonna come home in a while.'_

_'Dad? Dad..? Hello..?'_

_.._

_'Why won't you talk to us? We're sitting here dying without you!'_

_'..'_

_'Daddy, daddy, please.. I.. We need you..'_

* * *

Kuroko narrowed his eyes, as he moved to get up.

Nigou may have forgiven his father, but he never would. The nights spent coddling his six year old brother after hunting and trading with blood on his fingers could never be taken back with a simple apology.

He stood on his own two feet and moved away from the square, heading back towards the fence between the District and the outside through the market, climbing up without even checking to see if the electricity was off. He jumped down from the very top, landing straight on his feet, and clenched his fists.

He was back in the woods, the only place he truly felt calm. He was only at peace when he was hunting, when he was a predator, and not the prey. He slipped out through the thickets where Kagami had been hiding and made his way over to the hollowed tree stump where they stashed their excess weapons, and took out the makeshift wooden bow he had crafted, the first weapon he had used and created himself when he was twelve and forced to hunt.

He took out the three arrows that went along with it, and a knife for skinning animals, and listened closely, blocking out all distracting thoughts of his father and his brother. Everything was clear now in his mind, making it possible to hunt.

The birds chirped around him, and as he heard a small rustle of leaves, he shot around and released an arrow from his bow at lightning speeds. The sharp point pierced something moving, and a squirrel fell down from a high tree, hitting the ground. The arrow was cleanly shot, right through the eye.

Kuroko stared at it for a second, before he grabbed his knife, and took out the arrow, beginning to skin his catch. He took the fur pelt and expertly cleaned the skins and meat separately, leaving the useless entrails on the ground for the buzzards to get at. He stuffed the items into a sack, and tied it tightly. He looked at the sun, knowing it was time close for the Reapings, and dropped the sack into the hollowed tree stump. He'd come back for the sack to trade it after the Reapings to some ecstatic family whose son or daughter wasn't chosen, and stashed the bow and arrows, and the knife.

He quickly scaled the fence and made his way back home quickly, slipping past the gazes of his younger brother and father, who were still looking for him. He discreetly took off the rags he wore as clothing and changed into his only other outfit, which was for Reapings specifically.

"Tetsuya-Nii," Nigou's voice continued to call through the house, "P-Please.. I'm sorry, I'm sorry," he repeated over and over again, like a mantra. It slowly wore Kuroko down as he pushed the buttons through the notches in his shirt.

The bluenette gave a low sigh, closing his eyes as his brother walked back into their room. He turned to Nigou and flashed a small smile, and immediately wrapped his younger brother into a tight hug. He had no right to be mad.. He had no right. It was his brother's choice if he wanted to forgive their father, and Nigou's choice alone. Kuroko had no right to be angry that his brother was making progress repairing his relationship with their broken family.

"I'm sorry I reacted like that," Kuroko breathed out, and faked a weak, almost broken smile at his small brother, as he squeezed the boy in his arms. "And.. I think it's great you and Teruya are becoming close again."

"He's our dad.. Not 'Teruya,'" Nigou replied softly, but smiled gently at his brother. He was wearing his white shirt and nice pants, and he looked absolutely perfect. Despite how skinny and small he was, he was still perfect to Kuroko.

Kuroko kissed his brother's forehead and smiled gently. ".. To me, he's Teruya," he said vaguely, and then gestured to the door. "Let's go over to the square now.. Don't you worry, okay? Your name is only in there once. There's no chance, it's one in thousands," he repeated, breathing in and out to calm down.

Nigou nodded. ".. I know."

Kuroko gave a small smile as they exited their house, leaving their father to his own bearings without thought. They moved down the dirty road, along with other kids who were heading to the Reapings as well. They all wore dress clothes to look their finest- as fine as one could allow in such a poor district. The square was in sight, were kids checked in with Peacekeepers.

"I'll meet you right after the Reapings. Once you sign in, just go stand with the other twelve-year olds," Kuroko explained, and Nigou nodded, gulping. The two brothers moved up to the check-in line, where they took blood tests and checked with the Capitol workers for names and critical information.

Nigou flashed a small smile at Kuroko before he moved away, the both of them moving to separate sides of the square, for their age sections respectively. The bluenette watched his brother as carefully as possible, as he breathed in and out carefully. There was a low chance Nigou would be chosen, and even for him, it was unlikely. There were thousands of other kids,_ thousands_..

It took a long time for everyone to file in, and Kuroko saw many of his former classmates. They looked at him with small glances, and short, nervous exchanges of greetings, but all of them were thinking the same thing-

_It'll be better if it's you that gets chosen, and not me._

Kuroko kept his eyes ahead at the platform of the square, where white-clad Capitol workers ushered a woman with long pink hair onto the stage. Momoi Satsuki, their District's Hunger Games escort. Everyone had a knack for making fun of the young woman, who could hardly keep her emotions in check, and made fun of her saying, "May the odds be ever in your favor."

Kuroko watched them quietly, the last of the kids filing into the square. His heart began to beat faster and faster in his chest, as he tried to steady his breathing. The time was coming closer and closer, and he wasn't sure who he was more worried for- himself, or his precious brother Nigou.

He watched Momoi smile nervously and step up to the microphone, what with her ridiculously high heels, overly large breasts, and bright green, frilly dress. Her red-pink eyes sparkled as she tapped the microphone, sending a loud, unpleasant sound booming through the speakers of the square.

"H-Hello, District Twelve," she spoke, and flashed a blinding white smile, ".. My name is Momoi Satsuki, your District Escort for your Annual, 74th Hunger Games," Momoi said shakily through the microphone, and flashed another shy smile. "Now, for a word from a recording from our dear President Sanada."

Kuroko looked up as the screen rolled down from the top of the stage, everyone's attention snapping up to the screen. Distaste filled his mind as Sanada's face appeared on the screen, the recording that played every year beginning to start.

_"Every year, in the beautiful country of Panem, each of the twelve districts offers up a boy and a girl of twelve to eighteen years old to compete in the honorable, Annual Hunger Games in the Capitol._

_Two children from their district will head to the Capitol in a limited edition train, and the next day shall arrive in our golden city. Once arriving, they will be put to training and testing, and in one week, will receive a score from our Gamemakers, the creators of the Hunger Games Arena, that will influence the voters who will spend money and sponsor them in the games. _

_In two more days they will be sent into the arena to fight in a game of survival, and eliminate the competition until only one tribute remains. They will be crowned the victor from there, and receive great honor for their district._

_This is done every year to remind the districts of the time decades ago, when they rebelled against the Capitol. The blood that is shed is to honor the deaths of our people who fought in the rebellion, and to remind them that this should never happen again."_

Everyone was silent after the video, and Momoi adjusted the microphone awkwardly, and cleared her throat. "A-Ahem.. Anyway, shall we start with the drawing of the tributes this year?" She asked, her voice squeaky. "Girls first.."

A peacekeeper who held the huge bowl of ballots stepped forward, as Momoi dipped her hand into the container of ballots. Everyone in the girls section held their breaths, as she picked one of the slips of papers and pulled it out.

"Asahina Haruna."

Sighs of relief passed through the girls' section as one quivering, poor little fourteen year old stepped up to the stage, white and shaking, in her baggy white dress. Her thin, lanky form walked up to the stage, and Momoi nervously placed a hand on her shoulder and smiled at her. The poor thing was in shock as Momoi went to the boy's bowl, her tiny feet in her high-heels clanking across the ground.

"N-Now, for the boy's tribute," she said softly, into the mic.

Kuroko's heart rate began to slow, and he looked towards the twelve-year olds section. Nigou's eyes met his, and the older male flashed a reassuring smile to his younger brother, the only one he truly cared for besides Kagami..

_One in a thousand ballots._

"The male tribute for District Twelve is.."

_One in a thousand, there's no chance._

_.._

_.._

_.._

Kuroko let himself relax too soon.

"Kuroko Nigou."

* * *

**Review, guys, hope you liked it~!  
**


	2. Chapter 2

**Oh so excited to write this fanfiction.. RARGH!**

**A-hem. Anyway, thanks for all of your positive feedback and everything, guys~! Just note: This _IS_ a Hunger Games parody, so there will be major similarities between characters and the KNB cast.. I mean, really. Also, it says Career!GoM/Kuroko, so OBVIOUSLY, there are gonna be major differences as the story plot goes on between my fanfic and the actual Hunger Games.. I'm sorry, but it really gets annoying when people say,**

**-"Ugh, I hope you make this story different to the book, because, right now it's exactly the same :/" **

**Ahahahaha- It's the first chapter, so have patience. Really. I'm working hard on developing the plot and writing this all out- 5,500 words is a lot for me, since I'm busy- and it irritates the shoot out of me when people say that. (But thank you for the note on Kiyoshi.. Gotta fix that later. Wheee~!)**

**Anyway, enjoy the second chapter please, and review. Favoriting and following is nice, but reviewing is the best, because it helps to get thoughts and inspiration.**

* * *

Time seemed to stop flowing around Kuroko, as his mind blanked out with the two words that came from Momoi Satsuki's mouth. It was a simple name, but it send a snap running down his spine, a cold shiver running down his skin, and sweat running down the side of his face. His mouth went dry and words escaped him, as everyone in the twelve-year old section parted like the Red Sea for Nigou- helpless, _precious_ Nigou- his brother, and his only family left. The blue-eyed male looked around in horror.**  
**

Kuroko watched, his jaw hanging open, as his eyes focused in on the small, emaciated form slowly walking up the steps, his legs quaking from fear and shock. Immediately, the bluenette snapped back to reality as he saw his brother's foot hit the first step of the platform, and he sprung forward with cat-like speed, shoving through the other sixteen year-olds, who got out of the way quickly.

"I.." Kuroko managed out, everyone's attention drawing to him.

He normally hated the feeling of eyes on his body, a stranger staring his way. Kuroko always felt judged when people he didn't know looked at him, which was why he preferred to stay hidden, and sink among the shadows. But he could not find himself caring any less as he bounded up the steps and pushed Nigou away from the platform.

"I volunteer as tribute."

Shock ran through everyone in the square, as kids' eyes darkened in surprise, and yet guilt at Kuroko and Nigou, the two brothers both facing death- and only one of them able to escape it. Kuroko didn't bother to look at Nigou, who's eyes widened in horror, as he tried to pull his older brother back, screaming and kicking.

"No," Nigou breathed, his orphan-blue eyes widening, as he let out a breathless whisper. "N.. NO!" He shrieked out, and tried to get to Kuroko, who stood emotionlessly. Peacekeepers ran up, grabbing him by the arms, and began to pull him back, everyone watching in horror at the scene unfolding cruelly in front of them.

Kuroko remained emotionless, though everything was shattering inside of him.

"Don't go, Tetsuya-Nii!" Nigou screamed, tears running down his eyes, his voice melting and breaking Kuroko's iron stone heart to pieces. "P-Please! Don't go, don't go!" He continued to thrash in the Peacekeepers' arms, and Kagami suddenly stepped forward from where he stood in the eighteen year old's section.

"Sh, Nigou," he whispered harshly, and flashed a look to Kuroko, who did nothing in response. ".. Up you go, Tetsuya," he said, using Kuroko's first name the first time in all of their years together, as he grabbed Nigou from the peacekeepers. They surprisingly allowed him to walk off with the thrashing young child, as Kuroko's gaze turned to the floor.

_None of this was supposed to happen.._

He was supposed to go home with Nigou after the Reapings, where neither of them would have been picked, and take his younger brother home. Then, he and Kagami would meet up at their house and go back to the woods and pick up the squirrel he had caught earlier, and then sell it or trade other game they had caught. They'd have a nice dinner at their own houses and Kuroko would reject his father's attempts to talk to him, and it was all supposed to go back to normal. He would forget his district's tributes easily, and focus on feeding his family instead of fearing his upcoming death.

It wasn't supposed to happen like this.

"W-Wonderful.. The first volunteer tribute in such a long time, for District Twelve," Momoi stuttered out, her eyes flashing nervously between Kuroko and the crowd. "W-Well, dear.. Why don't you come on up to the stage, and shake hands with Asahina over here, and we can introduce our victor who will mentor you two, and then we can go and get going to the District Station, haha.."

Kuroko nodded, no emotions breaking through his facade of indifference. He always had this unbreakable farce. Even in death, he would stare at the opponent with his blank eyes of indifference as his own rebellion against this. His opposition was his silence.

The bluenette walked up to the stage, and faced the audience of District Twelve with blank eyes. Momoi nodded to him, and he and poor Asahina shook hands, and faced back to the square. The female was trembling and sobbing, while Kuroko remained blank, his dead-looking eyes being shown on the big screen, zoomed into.

Momoi began to clap awkwardly, hoping everyone would join in, but stopped when all of the District suddenly held two fingers out to the air, then brushed them against their lips, and placed them at their hearts. Inside, Kuroko was dying, shaking, and crying. It was the symbol of luck and heartfelt empathy and emotion, something that he had never seen so many people do at the same time. The pink-haired escort faltered and nearly tripped over her ridiculous heels.

"U-Uh," she stuttered, her eyes wide at the rows of children staring up at her with their fingers touching their hearts. ".. L-Let's introduce our Victor and Mentor now.. Uhm, Hyuuga Junpei, please, come to the stage, if you will.."

Kuroko looked over to see the familiar trader who had gifted he and Kagami earlier today with the pastries, and his insides raced in humiliation. The man who had been there and helped to support him when he was struggling after his mother died was now the man who would oversee him fight to the death and die in agony.

"Tetsuya," Hyuuga said with a sad, tired smile, looking over to the smaller male as he walked up the steps of stage. The second victor of the Hunger Games for District Twelve, and the only one remaining alive still yet.

"Hyuuga-san," Kuroko replied, blankly.

Hyuuga stood in between both he and Asahina, as Momoi clenched the microphone with trembling hands, obviously unnerved by the citizens of District Twelve still holding their fingers against their hearts. She gulped before speaking, and laughed awkwardly to break the thick atmosphere.

"W-Well, that's all, folks.. Thanks for coming out. We'll be taking the tributes and our mentor to the District Station, where they will have a moment to reconcile with their families and friends.. U-Uh.. So, Happy Hunger Games!

And may the odds be _ever_ in your favor!"

_How ironic that statement was_, Kuroko thought bitterly, as Peacekeepers dressed in pure white ushered him down the steps of the stage for the very beginning of his journey to death.

* * *

The District Station was a cold, plain white place.

Kuroko was escorted to a private room covered in white. The walls were pure snow color, the floors where a white tile, and there were two chairs, completely white. A glass table sat in the middle of the chairs, and a security camera of an ivory color was hanging from the top corner of the room. The vague hum of the District train outside could be heard, and cold, chilling air filled the small white space, making Kuroko tremble.

Everything that just happened then was too horrible to be true.

Nigou's name had been picked out of thousands of others, and he had volunteered for his baby brother. Of course he would- he didn't regret that. He was just so scared, so utterly hopeless and lost. He'd be charging into death with kids who were large and strong and weren't starving like he was, and he would die as Capitol kids watched for their own amusement and laughed their fake white smiles.

He was more scared than he was when his mother died and his father wouldn't wake up from his wake-comatose state, because he knew for a fact he would perish. There was not a shred of hope in his body. It was all despair, and it sunk in rather quickly.

Yet Kuroko refused to shed any tears. He simply sat on the chair provided to him and stared at the white walls around him, his fingers squeezing his bony thighs as he waited for his family to come and see him off to his casket.

The door slowly opened, and a Peacekeeper escorted two males into the room.

Kuroko didn't have to look to know it was his father and Nigou. The black-haired boy immediately leapt towards his brother, his arms wrapping around his neck, as tears stained his dress shirt. Kuroko found his arms slinging across Nigou's waist, and a bitter, weak smile forced its way to up to fit over his lips.

"N-Nii-san.. Why," Nigou gasped out, burying his nose against Kuroko's chest.

Kuroko only continued to smile, wetness covering his glassy teal-blue eyes. He was trying hard to resist the tears that he had held in ever since the death of his beloved mother six years ago, but the thought that this would be the last time he ever saw his precious brother ever again broke him. He hadn't taught him to hunt yet, or gone digging for Katniss roots with him during the Summer. They hadn't gone for a swim at the wild watering hole, nor had they ever shared a dessert together. The bluenette was completely silent as tears cascaded down his pale skin, dripping down and staining the perfect white floor with salty wetness.

"Sh," he cooed, inhaling the familiar scent of sweet, yet stifling ash his brother possessed. "You'll get through this, I promise. You'll be strong, like I know you always are.. Won't you?" He asked softly, and pulled away from the hug to cup his brother's cheek, and gently wipe the tears away with his thumbs, like he always did when Nigou had nightmares.

"There's no use crying over spilt milk. What's done is done."

Nigou hiccuped, and nodded slowly, trying to stop his crying as he clenched his eyes shut and wiped his cheeks against his shirt, which was soiled in salty tears. Kuroko took the time to look towards his father, the man who he had blocked out of his life for six years, his eyes impassively and blankly staring, the sad smile wiped of his face in return for a blank purse of his lips, and dead-looking eyes.

"Don't you dare stop out on him," was all Kuroko said, and Teruya managed to nod, choking on his own saliva. He understood his father wanted forgiveness from him, but even now on the verge of death, he could not accept the man back into his life. His grudges were cold and stayed in his heart, and hardened into hurt.

Teruya was about to say something else when Kuroko turned to Nigou and gave him one last kiss on the forehead- then he stopped, knowing his place. Nigou ran back into the arms of his brother, and they stood that way for a few more moments, until the Peacekeepers came back in the room and escorted his family out.

"I.. I won't say goodbye, because I know you're coming back, Nii-san!" Nigou shouted, from where he was being escorted out behind a Peacekeeper. His blue eyes, so expressive, stared at Kuroko- and the bluenette flashed a genuine, teary-eyed smile.

"I love you!"

Kuroko mouthed four words back as the doors closed.

_I love you too._

He had a few moments to slowly rest for a minute before the doors opened back up, and Kagami was pushed into the room. Peacekeepers closed the doors as Kagami took a seat on one of the white chairs, running a hand through his messed-up red spiky locks, and gave a gruff grunt. Kuroko knew his friend was never sentimental, and he was just fine with it- as he never was too emotional himself.

".. I'm expecting you to come back, Kuroko," Kagami started, and looked up. His red eyes flashed with something the bluenette had not seen since the day they had met in the forest, both of their parents having been victims of the pogrom six years ago.

"I don't want another hunting partner. You.. You make sure to get a good bow and arrow, and then shoot them like a damn squirrel. Right in the eyes," Kagami said sternly, unable to properly convey his emotions into his words.

Kuroko gave a soft, genuine smile to his friend, and nodded. "Yes, I will be sure to. Thank you," he said softly, and closed his eyes- then flinched in shock as tough arms wrapped around him for a few seconds, then released him.

".. By the way, there's a squirrel in the tree-stump," Kuroko said, and Kagami let out a laugh- though it was pained and weak, not like the hearty ones they usually shared that were so genuine and raw, when they were alone after a long day of hunting and talking together in the forest, the only place both of them felt at home.

"I'll see you when you come back as a _victor_, Tetsuya," Kagami said softly, his eyes softening, before the Peacekeepers dragged him out of the room.

He watched the redhead leave, as the doors closed once again, and he leaned back in his chair. The wait this time was near fifteen minutes- each of them excruciatingly painful to bear. The last time he had seen his dear brother, Nigou, and his _best friend_, dare he say it, Kagami. Those were his last visitors, most likely. He was never close to anyone else, unless they bothered to remember he was the boy who sold poached game to the villagers. And even then, only a select few could remember his face.

He tried to steady his breathing. He was going to die in two weeks as others brutally killed him, while fruity little people who had been pampered all their lives watched and laughed at his mutilated body. He'd be stepped on and pushed around by the richer districts, and humiliated before he died- not that he had much of a life worth bragging for, anyway.

It wasn't supposed to happen, but here it was.

He only realized how heavy his breathing had become when the door had opened. Kuroko's eyes slowly traveled up to see it was surprisingly, Kiyoshi Himuro, the mayor's son- the one who had gone to school with him for a while and was in his grade- standing in the door. The handsome young man wore a white sleeved shirt with a black vest and pants, his hair neatly styled. He nodded to Kuroko.

The bluenette simply stared. They had never been particularly close- the most they had done together was exchange a few words of greeting at school.. If anything, he and Kagami were friends. The two played together as children, after all. What was he doing here?

"I.. Came to give you this," Himuro said, gently. He walked forward to the bluenette, and grabbed Kuroko's hand gently. He slowly unfolded the smaller male's fingers and placed something metal and cool into his hands.

"Every tribute gets to have a token from their district to wear during the games," Himuro said softly, and nodded. ".. I want you to wear that pin. It's a Mockingjay bird.. And it's supposed to mean something. But something different to every person."

Kuroko stared at the golden pin. True enough, a Mockingjay, one of the Capitol's previous experiments during the Districts rebellion against them, was sitting on the pin, holding an arrow in it's beautiful talons. He didn't see the meaning, but simply nodded. It must have been an expensive gift to buy.

"Thank you, Himuro. I.. Am touched," Kuroko said softly, and Himuro smiled.

The brunette gave the two fingers in the air, on the lips, and on the heart, before taking his leave shortly, leaving Kuroko to stare at the pin in soft wonder.

_It's supposed to mean something. But something different to every person._

* * *

Kuroko and Asahina were led out of the District Station by the Peacekeepers after all reconciliations with their families and friends were finished. The huge, long train that would take them to the Capitol was sitting on the railroad tracks in front of them, Hyuuga busy waiting by Momoi. Kuroko saw tear stains on Hyuuga's shirt, and immediately knew that Riko had visited him earlier as well._  
_

"W-Well, I hope you guys are ready," Momoi chimed, half-heartedly, a weak smile on her lips. ".. I.. I, uh.. We'll be boarding the train over here, which will take us to the Capitol. We'll arrive there tomorrow morning.. Isn't that amazing, haha.."

Kuroko only stared at a pebble on the ground with blatant disinterest.

"A-And, then, that day, you all get to see your personal stylists, just in time for the big tribute parade," Momoi tried again, trying to get Asahina and Kuroko to talk to her. Her attempts were pathetic, and Kuroko looked at her blankly as Hyuuga gave her a look of pity. "Then after that, there's the week of training.. It'll.. It'll be great, I promise..!"

"You can stop it, Momoi," Hyuuga said with a sigh, gently patting her shoulder. Kuroko watched in disgust, wondering how he could stand even acknowledging a woman who picked children to fight to their deaths, let alone touch her. "They wont get excited over that.. Don't treat them as if they're Capitol children."

Momoi only gave a look of rejection from Hyuuga, and a sigh escaped her lips. Kuroko caught something in her pink-red irises, and narrowed his eyes. Was that possibly.. Sadness in her eyes? Something tugged his lips down into a frown, but he pushed the feeling away as the doors to the train suddenly opened.

Momoi went into the cart first, followed by a tearing Asahina. Hyuuga walked in, and helped Kuroko up the steps. It was difficult for the small bluenette- even Asahina was taller than him, and she was female- and younger than him by two years.

"I'm so sorry this happened to you," Hyuuga breathed, whispering to Kuroko, his voice so light that even the bluenette could hardly hear him. "I'm going to do everything to keep you alive in the arena, and you know that. Just don't be scared if I.. Lose control."

Kuroko wanted to ask the victor what he meant, but held his voice as his eyes honed in on the security cameras zooming in on them. He simply followed Hyuuga, who followed Asahina and Momoi, over through the huge, spacious train. The lavish furniture that decorated the beautiful rooms was more fitted to a palace of some sort, rather than a train.

"F-First, why don't we get something to eat?" Momoi asked, as she fidgeted uncomfortably. "Y-You three must be very hungry, since.." She trailed off, and Kuroko's eyes narrowed. He was right, she was nothing other than a snobby, spoiled rich woman from the Capitol. Perhaps her nervous facade was simply something to deter the audience of a malicious personality. Maybe she liked choosing kids to die and watching them suffer..

"I ate," the bluenette said coldly, his eyes darkening. Momoi froze, and Hyuuga looked to him with stern eyes, crossing his arms.

"Though I know what you are thinking," he started, and pushed his ill-fitting spectacles further up the bridge of his nose, "It is best you start to eat. You won't last in the arena if you don't start to put on weight.. It's the honest truth."

"I'm going to perish in the first few hours anyway, aren't I?" Kuroko retaliated. His voice was as emotionless as ever, but a certain edge of question to his tone sounded as if he was coldly challenging Hyuuga. The victor's eyes narrowed, and something flashed in his eyes.

"Don't speak to me with disrespect, Tetsuya."

Kuroko's eyes widened at the sudden use of his first name and silenced himself immediately, realizing he had begun to take out his pent-up frustrations against his mentor, Hyuuga- the man who had helped him so much, and was now helping him through certain-death yet again. He gave the other the most apologetic look he could muster, because his facial expressions of monotony were hard to change, and Hyuuga only nodded back.

Kuroko willingly followed District Twelve's mentor and escort into a separate cabin of the train, remaining stoic. Though he hadn't meant to disrespect Hyuuga- even if the mentor worked hard, and bore himself down to the bone, he'd still be helpless. Kuroko knew he had no chance of surviving, so what was the point of even trying? It'd just be even more sad and pathetic..

He shuddered, barely a movement, but a flash of discomfort ran across his face. This reminded him too much of his thoughts when his mother had died and his father had gone brain-dead and blank, and he had three mouths to feed at only ten years old.

Kuroko kept walking, still lost in his own thoughts, when suddenly, Hyuuga stopped walking in front of him. The bluenette nearly bumped into the bespectacled man before he stopped, and looked up to see the victor was opening the door for Momoi.

Kuroko's eyes widened as he followed the pink escort into the next cabin, Hyuuga holding the door. He still didn't understand why Hyuuga was so kind to Momoi. She was a woman of the Capitol, and she chose kids to die every year without a speck of remorse- doing so while parading with her huge breasts, high heels, and ridiculous hair. And Hyuuga had a wife, who was probably worried sick for him during their time a part- and he was acting kind to another woman, and a woman like that?

Were they having some kind of affair..?

He watched them closely as he entered the dining cabin, taking in the huge mahogany dining table with a huge, lace-white tablecloth on top, roses decorating the whole room, dark wood chairs with red velvet furnishing perfectly tucked in under the table. Kuroko's eyes widened.

He'd have expected something lesser for District Twelve. The Capitol left that district poorer than the rest, so why did he bother going through such the trouble to spend so much on them? Narrowing his eyes, he followed Hyuuga to take a seat at the table, on the opposite sides of Asahina and Momoi.

"Th-This is the dining cart," Momoi piped up, the clatter of dishes and silverware coming from behind a door in the back corner of the room. She laid her napkin down onto her lap and flashed a weak smile. "We meet.. We meet here for all of our meals, and if you want a s-snack, or a drink, you are free to come here."

"You two should eat as much as you can these two weeks," Hyuuga added, taking a sip from his water. "Storing up energy and getting more meat on your bones is the best way to start in the arena, though you don't want to get too used to eating rich foods, and have to live on crackers there, either."

"W-What is the arena going to be like?" Asahina spoke up, for the first time. The poor girl was quaking in her ill-fitting dress, her fingers shaking too hard for her to pick up her glass of water.

"It depends on what the gamemakers feel like," Hyuuga replied honestly, pushing up his glasses slowly, as if in thought. "One year, it was a dry sahara- the other, it was a tropical island. There was a huge platform suspended by wires once- that was deadly and bloody.. And my year, it was a junkyard, no food supplies anywhere. I won't sugarcoat it, because they usually pick the prettiest places with the most deadly works around it, or the ugliest places, that are even more dangerous than they look."

Asahina nodded, managing to swallow hard. ".. A-And.. What about the other tributes? We're going to see their Reapings, right?"

"A-After you eat your lunch," Momoi replied, butting in. She bowed her head slightly in apology. "W-We.. We thought you could all eat and then shower and change into some new clothes, then we'd all watch the Reapings together.. I-If that's okay."

Asahina only nodded.

Kuroko stared at the ivory white color of his plate, spacing out for a bit, before something popped up into his head. Every year, there are always six tributes from three districts- respectively, one, two, and four- called the careers. Because of the rich status of their districts, they're stronger than the rest of the tributes, and are known to train in advance for the games. They treat it like some kind of fun sporting event, and often, they volunteer to go to the Games. They aren't even Reaped.

The career tributes dominate the victor-board almost every year, Kuroko remembered. It's almost always from one, two, or four, and the kids who come from there all known to be prodigies in weaponry and survival skills.

But.. Training to fight to the death. Isn't the risk larger than the reward of fame? Kuroko tapped his fingers against the table. He supposed that because those three districts were favored by the Capitol most, perhaps they were influenced by the extreme activities and the thrill of the risk that the people of the Capitol loved.

"What about the careers this year?" Kuroko asked monotonously, and Momoi and Hyuuga perked up after not hearing the bluenette's voice in a while. ".. Are they good this year? Any other tributes we have to look out for?"

Momoi fidgeted a bit, and bit her lip. "W-Well.."

"There are primarily six tributes you need to look out for, but not all of them are from career districts. They're all boys- from districts one, two, three, four, seven, and eleven," Hyuuga explained, closing his eyes. Kuroko fathomed he must have watched the Reapings before District Twelve's to prepare for the games, since they were last to do their's every year and could see everyone else's.

"All of them are boys?" Asahina asked, in awe. She turned a interesting shade of pale, and hung her head in dejection, beginning to shake and tremble.

"A-All of them," Momoi said, and suddenly, let out a slow exhalation, her fingers clenching the tablecloth so hard her knuckles turned white. "A-And though all of them are amazing, they're not all trained to be like that... Th-The Capitol is calling them, 'The Generation of Miracles'- for this Hunger Games. They're that impressive, and everyone wants to know who will kill who."

Kuroko's eyes widened slightly at the explanation, but wiped the emotion off of his face, as suddenly, servers started to come in from the back door, holding huge silver dishes in their hands. He leaned back on his chair as the servants began to lay out huge dishes all across the table, lining the whole thing up. The aroma coming from the food underneath was so savory, Kuroko nearly lost his wits.

Quickly, the servers uncapped the dishes, bowed loudly, and filed into a line, leaving the dining cabin to go back into the back room. Kuroko watched them go in wonder, but quickly, his mind was reverted back to the food. It smelled better than the rolls he and Kagami had shared, and even better than the pastries Riko and Hyuuga had given them earlier that morning.

Kuroko's blue eyes settled onto the dishes, never have seen such delicacies before. He grew up living on sawdust-flour bread, and his own game he had caught and barely managed to cook, not anything like this. The smell of it was so rich and captivating, he momentarily forgot his disgust for the Capitol.

Momoi smiled weakly, brushing some pink hair behind her ear. "T-Today's lunch is s-specially prepared," she said softly, and grabbed the serving spoon and Asahina's bowl, pouring in a serving of orange-brown soup from the dish for the female tribute, much to Kuroko's surprise. "I-I hope you enjoy," she stuttered out, and Asahina accepted the bowl.

Kuroko watched the girl's expression as Momoi poured Hyuuga's bowl next, and then his. Asahina slowly took a sip of the soup and suddenly, her eyes perked up in surprise, and she began to eat even faster, the sudden food in her stomach a shock after being starved in District Twelve for so long.

Not wasting much time either, Kuroko took his bowl from Momoi with a quiet whisper of thanks, and using whatever one of the many spoons were closest to him, began to eat the dish. It was a creamy, distinguishable taste, some kind of vegetable soup Kuroko hadn't ever tried before.

"It's pumpkin soup," Momoi commented, but then quickly went back to her own food, Kuroko narrowing his eyes at her. For years he and Kagami had mercilessly made fun of her and her odd habit of speaking and ridiculous appearance, but he now wondered if she was someone he hadn't expected at all.

Quickly, both Kuroko and Asahina emptied their dishes of food. The girl got seconds while Kuroko pushed his bowl away and wiped his mouth. Although he had been hungry for all his life- that had definitely shrunken his stomach. He had no appetite further for anything he couldn't keep down.

"Done already?" Hyuuga asked, and Kuroko nodded.

"I was wondering if I could go to my room and shower," he replied monotonously. He needed to cleanse himself and spend some time alone, to think. He grabbed another gulp of water as Momoi nodded timidly from her seat.

"W-Well, do you need an escort to show you your room?" The pink haired woman asked, and wiped her mouth with her napkin. She was about to stand up, when Kuroko stopped her with a simple hand gesture.

"No thank you. I will find it myself."

Momoi paused for a brief moment, sucked in her lower lip and nodded, and slowly sat back down. Kuroko could only compare her expression then to a kicked dog, the way she reeled back from the rejection as if she had been hit- by he ignored her and simply wiped his hands. She was not entitled to grief. She was not going to die.

He pushed in his chair and stood before quietly exiting the dining cabin through the next door, not caring if he was going in the opposite direction or not. Even though he wanted a bath and some solitude, he was also fine with looking around the Capitol's train for a little bit. As he walked, the golden mockingjay pin Tatsuya had given him clanked against the metal buttons of his dress shirt.

_"It's supposed to mean something. But something different to every person."_

Kuroko paused through his walk. He had ended up in a vacant cabin room, that resembled a dwelling lobby. There were chairs and tables set up by large, glass windows- though there was a steel reinforcement of bars behind it, so tributes couldn't jump out of the train and commit suicide, or escape- as desperate as that sounded. Kuroko slowly unclipped the pin from his shirt, being careful not to poke his skin, and sat down, studying the cool gold material in his palms.

This must have cost Tatsuya a lot, despite his more wealthy status as the mayor's son. But why give him the token? It wasn't just for the happiness of seeing his own belonging on television- Tatsuya wasn't the kind of person to do that. They hadn't ever been particularly close.. His blue eyes studied the mockingjay.

The bird imprinted on the design of the pin as mid-flight, a sharp arrow clenched in it's strong talons, as it pointed downwards, about to swoop down. A mockingjay.. They were a mutation created by the Capitol, when the districts rebelled against them, in that war- to be used to track the rebels and record important information from them. When the rebels found out, Kuroko recalled, they spoke fake conversations of lies. The Capitol was so enraged, they decided to kill off all of the poor birds..

What could that possibly have meant? Was Tatsuya trying to say he was destined to die off, like the rest of the Mockingjays? Or was he missing something important?

The blue-haired male gave a silent, irritated exhalation, as he rested his head against his hands. Everything seemed too blurry and unreal. Despite the number of times he tried to make himself realize, he couldn't seem to understand the fact he had volunteered for his brother to compete in the Hunger Games, and was being shipped off to the Capitol to get ready to compete in the death trap- that was in a mere two weeks.

He'd have zero to no chance of surviving with a group of careers- killing prodigies- from other districts, who would most likely kill him and have fun with it, with no remorse. His body would be shipped back to his district where his father and brother would watch in horror, and they'd starve, unable to work for themselves, with Kagami already having to support his own family and unable to hunt for two more.

Kagami..

When Kagami had first started his Reapings at the age of twelve, Kuroko was only ten, when he had first started to hunt. Currently, the bluenette hated to admit it, but when he was younger, he was practically glued to the redhead's side, following him everywhere he went, like some kind of shadow. He'd watch Kagami's hunting skills and work on his own, using his shadowy-presence to sneak up on game and take them down.

So of course, when the chance that Kagami might be shipped off for his death arose, Kuroko was as distraught as he could be without showing any emotion on his face. He and Kagami had gone to the woods early in the morning, as usual, and were sitting down in complete silence, both of their aura forlorn.

They had waited there in silence for nearly two hours when Kagami spoke up.

"Kuroko.. I.. If I ever get reaped, then you help take care of my family, okay?" He had asked, his red-eyes staring off into the rising sun. His emotions were nearly unreadable- for there was an odd, sad smile on his face. Kuroko blanked and watched him closely. He talked about Kuroko being loyal to Nigou, but the bluenette knew just how close Kagami was to his family as well.

"And if you get reaped, I'll take care of Ni.. Ni, whatever the scary kid's name is, and your bastard dad, too," Kagami added, a gentle and rare smile on his face. He had reached out and patted the bluenette on the head, much to his annoyance- but he noticed something new that day.

It was unbelievably like Kagami to smile through the worst moments and keep pushing forward- despite the lack of hope he may have had towards the end product.

It was too bad that their promise to each other had actually been put into place. It would have been too good to be true if neither of them had ever gotten called up, and Nigou hadn't either. The promise would have never been played out.. Though Kuroko supposed it was best that Nigou got picked now. If it was when Kuroko was nineteen, there would be no possible way to save his younger brother.

The bluenette closed his eyes. Nigou.. His precious brother, his family. Those blue eyes, always so miserable and sad, yet at the same time- so hopeful and grateful for life.. He could imagine them staring up at him. They were so full of forgiveness, despite how life had wronged them so. Kuroko would have had to kill himself in shame if he had let his brother walk up that stage- much less if he had seen Nigou compete in the Hunger Games, his beautiful, emotional blue eyes shedding tears as he ruthlessly murdered, or was ruthlessly murdered.

He would fight for his younger brother. Killing humans couldn't be too different from killing animals. They both had families and friends waiting at their homes.. If anything, animals relied on their families more. It wouldn't be too hard. He'd get over the guilt, if for his brother. He just hoped Nigou would look at him the same way again.

He fingered the golden pin for a bit longer before smiling almost wistfully, and placing it back into his pocket, instead of clipped onto his shirt. As long as the meaning of the pin eluded him, he could not bear to wear it.

The bluenette stood up, taking in his surroundings for a few seconds, before he walked to the next door, heading to his room.

* * *

**Ooh.. Kind of eventful chapter.. The next chapter will have the arrival to the Capitol, beginning of training, and the introduction of the GoM~!  
**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hola~ Here's a new chapter of The Hunger Games for you guys, to thank you for your support! I'll soon update Kuroko No Bouken, and put up a different story. That's my agenda for this weekend :)  
**

**I deleted the previous chapter. Thank you all for your support, I appreciate it very much. And to anyone who has a problem with me or the way I write, if it offends you so much as to leave a review telling me exactly the things you HATE about me, then just leave. It's easy as that, and it saves a lot of time- yours, mine, and the people who are waiting for actual chapters.**

**Thank you for reading, and please enjoy the next chapter of THG. Also, please check out my Kuroko-centric forum, if you have time. Review with some feedback- it always inspires an author to write! Thanks!**

* * *

The Capitol Bullet Train zoomed through the cold night air, over the tracks leading to the center of Panem. It was clearing district two right now- only one more district to go, before they arrived in the Capitol in the morning. The stars shone down on the silvery train, an eerie glow settling over the vehicle as it sped off.

"U-Uhm, K-Kuroko, it's dinner time," Momoi's voice stuttered, from the other side of the door. She knocked on Kuroko's door once more, only to hear silence. The pink-haired district escort sighed. Another tribute who hated her guts. She nervously shifted her weight between her two feet, obviously unbalanced on her high heels. How she wished the style in the Capitol had moved on to flats.

"I will be out in a minute. You don't have to wait," the monotone voice came from behind the door. Momoi scrunched her eyebrows and sighed, as she nodded. The pink-haired escort moved away from the door, heading to the dining hall.

It was torture to be a district escort for tributes when they all thought she was a woman of the Capitol. Momoi Satsuki never was- she was born in District Eleven, and lived there for all of her teenage years. She had evaded being selected as tribute for her district her whole life- but one day, she had been chosen by the Capitol for some odd job. She was taken against her will- and she found herself being sold as a public eye-candy as a district escort for one of the poorest districts in Panem. The Capitol believed her beauty would have amused Panem all the more- making such a pretty woman escort such a poor, disgusting district into the Capitol. She was made a laughing stock. Momoi was just a pretty face being used to harm others, and ruin District Twelve's already deteriorating reputation. Not only was she an escort, but whenever she found herself in the Capitol, she would have to serve 'customers.' The money her body made would be given to the funds that helped recreate the mass murdering game of innocent children year by year. She was just a puppet for the Capitol to manipulate at their will. Her being used had stripped away her personality and left an empty, meek shell in its place.

Momoi stared straight ahead, as she wobbled through the halls in her stupid shoes. Only Hyuuga and the other mentors knew her story. All of the other tributes and people, who never knew her before, assumed she was Capitol-bred. As if- she couldn't stand the sights of the flashing lights, and the ridiculously dressed people. Everything about the Capitol made her sick. Just seeing the fake smiles of its citizens made her remember the hands that roamed and invaded her body.

Shaking from the thought, the pink-haired woman managed to make her way into the dining hall. Hyuuga and Asahina sat at the table. The dining hall was exactly the same, except the servants had set up the electronic viewing screen on the wall. It had the day's Reapings recorded- they would be watching District Twelve's competition. Though, from what Momoi knew from her ten years as an escort, District Twelve hardly had any competition. It was sad, but painfully true- they never lived past the first day. They had no chance, and seeing this year's tributes, two malnourished children, it would be the same as any other year.

_Happy Hunger Games- and may the odds be ever in your favor._

Her trademark phrase, that she had once said with so much hope- when she had first started out on her job, was now used as some kind of mocking by the District Twelve people. They saw her as some kind of joke. She had tried her best to help the tributes she was in charge of become popular, so they would have a chance at surviving. Instead, District Twelve had seen her as some kind of naive little girl, who was trained by the Capitol to mock them with her sense of hope. It was disgusting, how ironic the image of her had become.

Momoi slowly sat down at the table, nervously and weakly smiling. She grabbed the bell off the counter top, and rang it. Moments later, the servants filed out of the kitchen and into the dining table, uncovering silver platters of decadent food. Momoi saw the way Asahina's eyes lit up, and sighed. Hyuuga looked to her.

"Where's Kuroko?" He asked, pushing up his glasses.

"I'm here," a voice cut in, before Momoi could respond. The bluenette male had entered the cart without any of them knowing. He took a seat next to Hyuuga, leaving Momoi alone on the other side of the table. The servants pushed the platters onto the table, and served cold beverages. "I apologize for the wait. I was getting acquainted with the room," the boy said emotionlessly. It broke Momoi's heart, as she watched him weakly. Hyuuga only nodded in response, but his concerns were obviously still there.

The platters were dished out, and the four served themselves. The food was wild bird meat over mixed rice, cooked in herbs and doused in a fine, dark gravy. Different kinds of sweet and sour berries were mashed together in a tart sauce, and spring time vegetables were served with butter and cheeses. The meal was heavy and rich, nothing less of what the Capitol ate everyday. Momoi watched the two tributes eat for a bit, before she grabbed the remote on the table and clicked it on.

"Watch while you eat," she managed to say, without stuttering. The viewing screen turned on, loading. In a minute, it flashed, to show the title screen of the Reapings. The cue music turned on from the speakers. "I-It's today's Reapings... You can see the six Careers that everyone's betting on."

Slowly, the screen changed, to show District One. The music ended, allowing the loud cheering of the Career District to be heard. A girl volunteered to go, as did a boy. The girl was the usual District One- fifteen with blonde hair and green eyes, beautiful and well-pampered and sweet, but the boy was different. He had odd, flaming red hair, and matching, crimson colored eyes. He was quite handsome- about seventeen years old. The screen revealed their names.

_District One Tributes:_

_May-Bell Ray; 15_

_Seijuuro Akashi; 18_

"He's son of the mayor, of District One," Hyuuga said suddenly, taking a sip of his wine. Three other heads snapped towards him, and he nodded to confirm his words. "He's apparently some kind of prodigy, who's been training for this Hunger Games for his whole life. That's why there's buzz about him, and everything."

The screen switched to the next District- District Two, who was in charge of masonry. The huge district was known to be one of the main three career districts, because they were in charge of making weapons. Their experience with making weapons put them much ahead of the game. The tributes both volunteered as expected- the girl was quite tall and muscly, with brown hair and brown eyes. However, the boy was something to behold. He had to be eighteen or so, with long purple hair grazing his shoulders, and matching eyes. His height, however, was huge. He was taller than everyone else in the District Two plaza- he was enormous.

_District Two Tributes:_

_Alexandra Élefois; 16  
_

_Atsushi Murasakibara; 17_

"He's extremely tall, and he's only seventeen," Asahina murmured in disbelief, looking pale. Momoi knew she was picturing him strangling her, most likely. She sighed slightly, poking at her food. The screen switched again, to District Three. Although the third district wasn't usually considered a career district, the male tribute was something to behold. Everyone looked to the screen.

A small male from District Three was selected, to their surprise. However, their curiosity was sated when a tall young male with green colored locks and emerald shaded eyes volunteered suddenly instead. He wore glasses and was very tall, but not as big as the tribute from District Two. He must have been the first volunteer in the district from years, due to the shocked looks everyone gave him. The female was nothing special compared to him, small and obviously underfed.

_District Three Tributes:_

_Anya Xia-Ling; 12_

_Shintarou Midorima; 18_

"Poor girl's only twelve," Hyuuga muttered under his breath, folding his hands together over his table. The screen flashed again, towards District Four.

The tributes from District Twelve were both well-built and good looking, as they always seemed to be. The girl had gorgeous blonde hair and blue eyes, and was obviously well-fed. She was of prime age, a perfect contestant. However, the boy, was something else entirely. His looks were so gorgeous, even Hyuuga and Kuroko looked momentarily blinded. He was tall and well-built, and obviously, the crowd couldn't get enough of the handsome volunteer.

_District Four Tributes:_

_Shelly L'amor; 16  
_

_Ryouta Kise; 17  
_

The tributes from five were both quite small and wiry looking. Perhaps, they were fast runners, if anything. The tributes from six were quite different- the female was eighteen and tall, the boy was thirteen, small, and looked as if he was on the morphine District Six was so famous for. Then, there was seven..

The girl was average sized, rather muscly- most likely from working with lumber. But the boy, was tall, strong, and smug-looking. He volunteered, and looked as if he were confident enough to take on the female tribute then and there. He had spiky, white colored hair, and silvery eyes. He was one of the careers, and was more than happy to let everyone know he was definitely ready for the games.

_District Seven Tributes:_

_Angeline Arlofaskaya; 16_

_Shougo Haizaki; 18_

No other tributes were of interest until District Eleven- the female was just another average Sue, but the male was huge. He was tall, with dark skin and oddly colored blue hair, but he was muscly, and well-built. The crowd seemed solemn as he volunteered for his younger brother, or cousin- or whoever the smaller boy was to him. It was like a perfect mirror of Kuroko volunteering for his brother.

_District Eleven Tributes:_

_Kairi Aoga; 14_

_Daiki Aomine; 18_

"Seven Districts' tributes volunteered this Hunger Games," Momoi noted quietly, poking her food around with her cutlery, "M-More than ever recorded before. The Capitol will be looking out for you, K-Kuroko.."

"Which means that the other careers will be doing the same," Hyuuga noted solemnly. Kuroko looked up from his food, and blinked once.

"I know that. The Capitol most likely thinks of me as some kind of laughing stock, due to the fact I volunteered for Nigou," he added, eating a small bite of his food. "The careers will think it fun to eliminate me as fast as possible, of course."

Momoi cringed at his words- they were blunt, much too blunt.

"Don't give up so soon," Hyuuga said sternly, pushing his glasses up. "If anything, you have a great chance against them. They think you're some helpless kid who just volunteered for your brother, but we know you've got skills, Kuroko." His voice was stern and abrasive- but caring, Momoi noticed. Hyuuga talked to her kindly, but as if she was some kind of porcelain doll, fragile and easy to break- but he spoke to Kuroko as if he were some kind of respected adult. She internally wondered what kind of connection the two males had to each other.

"What kind of chance do I have if I can't find a bow and arrow?" He questioned calmly, turning to Hyuuga. An air of tension filled the room, creating an awkward, pregnant silence. The bespectacled man faltered for a moment, and tried to speak- but was cut off. "If there's no bow and arrow, I'm defenseless, and I'm pickings for the Careers to take their turns on," he said simply- as if it was nothing.

His poker-face amazed Momoi. She wondered how he was coping, what his real thoughts about the Games were. Everything she had seen before, in the other tributes- the crying, anger, distress- was he hiding it behind that well-disguised mask? Her red eyes studied him closely before they averted when he looked to her.

"I'd like to go to sleep early," he said simply, and closed his eyes. Hyuuga was going to say something, but Asahina shook her head. Surprisingly, the mentor didn't say anything, as the bluenette left the room quickly. Momoi looked down at her lip, biting her lip. The viewing screen continued to play background music, the atmosphere tense and awkward. Servants filed out of the kitchen cart.

".. S-Shall we begin dessert, then..?"

* * *

Kuroko closed the door of his cabin quietly, a low exhalation escaping his lips. The night sky outside of the window was a midnight blue, the stars glittering down on the earth below. The light they radiated was so far away- it seemed as if it was mocking the bluenette. As soon as the door closed- he took a few steps forward. By then, tears were falling down his face, dripping onto the floor.

He didn't want to have been so cold to Hyuuga- one of the people who had supported he and his family, and helped him so much- the one who was going to help him survive. He just lost all hope by watching the Reapings; and Hyuuga trying to reassure him just gave him false hope, that he might have a chance at surviving, would just hurt him in the end. He wanted to survive to be able to come back home to Nigou and Kagami, but there was no chance he'd survive with such competition. He'd be dead by the time he reached the cornucopia, for sure.

The bluenette dropped onto his bed, unable to stop the tears. Despite his internal turmoil, he showed no signs of emotions on his face other than his tears. Kuroko's fingers clenched the bedsheets around him, in agony. Everything was falling apart- just hours ago, he had been at home with his brother and best friend. Now, he was getting ready to be sent to his death. The painful, cold realization left him numb.

He wondered what would happen when he was dead. Kagami would have to supply Nigou and his father with food, as well as his own family. Kagami would eventually be unable to support two families alone, and they'd both starve. Unless, Kuroko's father took responsibility and started to work, they'd be doomed. By saving his brother, all he did was prolong his life. Kuroko's eyes narrowed, unable to stop crying. It was pathetic- he remembered a time long ago, when he couldn't generate any tears. Now, he couldn't do anything to stop them.

The broken tribute stayed in that position, fetal and vulnerable, until he fell into a restless sleep, tears staining the white sheets around his body.

* * *

The morning seemed to come slower than the screams. Kuroko bolted up as he heard a mass amount of cheering, screaming, and clapping coming from outside of the train. Only when he swung his feet out of the bed did he realize that the train had stopped moving. He quickly grabbed a brush, tamed his bedhead, and changed out of his soiled clothes. Kuroko was sure to pin on the mockingjay before he finished. He could hear bustle from the workers in the halls.

A knock on his door came right after he was done changing.

"C'mon, Kuroko. We're supposed to board off the train after breakfast and go to the Capitol building," Hyuuga's voice came from outside the door. Kuroko flinched, remembering last night. "Your appointment with your stylist is in an hour."

"I'm ready," he replied, and the door opened. Hyuuga was dressed up nicely. It was odd, seeing the victor dressed in anything other than his usual drab, threadbare clothing. Hyuuga studied Kuroko for a moment, before nodding. Not a word was spoken about last night's conversation, as the two left Kuroko's lodgings. Asahina and Momoi were waiting in the dining hall. A huge breakfast was set out.

"G-Good morning," Momoi stuttered out, a nervous smile on her lips. Kuroko looked over, noticing she was dressed in a gaudy yellow dress with bright red dots covering the fabric. She wore huge yellow heels, and her pink hair was styled into obnoxious, springy curls. Kuroko felt his distaste with her grow.

"Morning, Momoi," Hyuuga greeted, bowing his head slightly. He sat down at the table, across from Asahina. She was dressed in a plain blue dress, her dark hair falling by her shoulders. Kuroko quietly took a seat by him as the workers served many morning dishes- salads, breads, pastries, fresh fruits, and different juices.

Their meal was quiet and tense for the most part. Momoi stuttered through the daily agenda- the only talking that occurred in their meal. Kuroko slowly ate the delicious food, as he willed himself to push his guilt away- instead, wondering how Nigou and Kagami were doing at home. He hoped they were eating well..

"I-I'm sure you guys will like your stylists," Momoi attempted to make a conversation. She couldn't stand the tense atmosphere, obviously. She looked as if she was suffocating under it. Kuroko and Asahina looked up to her, and she nervously laughed. "H-Hah... They're very c-creative people.."

Hyuuga ate a piece of fruit before he added to the conversation, deciding to help the struggling woman. "They've been known to get our tributes some sponsors with their ideas. They're both helpful people, and I'm sure they'll try their best to make you feel comfortable while they work," he said. His voice radiated reassurance. It seemed to work for Asahina, but it only made Kuroko feel more guilty for last night. He quietly chewed on some bread, focusing somewhere else.

"Do you know... Do you know what they're gonna dress us up as for the parade tonight?" Asahina asked, slowly. She seemed nervous, and for a good reason. It seemed every year, the tributes from District Twelve were either completely naked and covered in black coal dust, or made to look like baggy-bodied miners.

"I-I'm sure it won't be a-anything too embarrassing," Momoi tried to console Asahina. It only made the poor girl sulk even more, looking uncomfortable.

"I think it has something to do with smokestacks," Hyuuga put in, drinking some of his juice. Kuroko and Asahina looked over to him, the girl paling slightly. "Don't be scared. The parade is only for about twenty minutes, then you're done."

"Just promise me, we won't be naked," Asahina muttered.

Kuroko stifled a slight smile. Despite how morbid the situation was- dressing tributes up and parading them over the streets before killing them, it was rather amusing to think they'd be parading naked, covered in coal dust. He continued to eat, imagining Nigou and Kagami's reactions to seeing him on the television, parading around in the nude. They'd probably throw a huge fit at the sight.

"F-Finish your breakfasts soon," Momoi stuttered, putting her fork down on her plate. "W-We go into the Capitol Games Building after you've collected whatever you might have in your rooms, and there you meet with your s-stylists."

The two tributes nodded as their escort left the room in her own twitchy way.

Kuroko watched her leave as he helped himself to an extra helping of fruit. He'd need his energy- today, they'd be seeing the other tributes in person during the parade. And whatever Lord out there knew he would do well with an extra boost when he had to meet them.

* * *

**UNEVENTFUL CHAPTER- SORRY! **

**He'll meet the careers soon!**


End file.
